Above all a team

Outclassed, out-passed and creatively out-imagined at home by a side struggling to break out of the relegation zone – last Wednesday Old Trafford witnessed Sean Dyche’s Burnley outplay Manchester United in almost every way. Yet, amazingly, it was Louis van Gaal’s side that earned three points at the end of the night to leapfrog Southampton back into third.

Burnley was the latest in a series of unlikely results this season, with United on a run of 18 matches that includes just a single defeat. It’s a series that includes United’s 2-1 away triumphs at the Emirates and St. Marys, and home victories over Everton and Burnley. None of which United deserved to win. Add shocking results at Leicester City and Milton Keynes Dons and it becomes clear that Van Gaal’s side deserves far less than it has achieved this season. Perhaps Van Gaal did sign something far more valuable than another player in his £150 million summer shopping spree: Lady Luck.

If anything, the lavish summer spree has been more of a hindrance than a positive. The purchases of a range of attacking talents has seemingly thrown the team into disarray and Van Gaal looks incapable of nailing down anything close to a cohesive XI after eight months on the job. Truthfully, the Dutchman has not even been able to draw the minimum expected from huge talents such as Angel Di Maria, Wayne Rooney and Adnan Januzaj. That trio is now reduced to playing the roles of square pegs in round holes.

That said, United’s formation is at least something Van Gaal seems to have settled, with the Reds now playing a 4-4-2 diamond regularly. But the misguided use of personnel contributed much to the miserable show versus Burnley last week – a performance Van Gaal described as “shocking.” United’s defence was a shambles once again, with Chris Smalling and Jonny Evans flapping at centre-back, the latter proving once again that he is a player that barely deserves to make the reserves let alone Van Gaal’s first team. Luke Shaw’s suspension left Marcos Rojo at left-back, and although he made a decent job of it, the Argentinian was sorely missed at the heart of United’s defence.

The night was not helped by Jones’ early injury, which will put him out for the next two weeks – another setback for United. But the injury had one benefit by placing Chris Smalling in the equation. The man-of-the-match performance included a goal within 20 seconds of his entry – the fastest goal by a substitute in Premier League history. He went on to play one of the best games of his time at United, with a headed brace that gave the home side a 2-1 lead at half-time. And there was one more defensive positive against Burnley – at right back, McNair is beginning to make himself a mainstay in the defence, again performing better than his counterparts in the position.

Chris Smalling’s goal scoring proved a lesson for Van Gaal’s forwards, who again struggled in the final third. It is a pattern across the entire campaign. The team boasts more than a fair amount of possession every game, yet there have been matches this season when United registered zero shots on target. The obvious conclusion is that United’s strikers are underperforming. For further evidence Falcao was again nowhere near his potential last Wednesday, with the Colombian struggling to find his first touch for most of the game. Meanwhile, Van Persie is only slowly recovering after more than 18 months of intermittent form.

Perhaps, though, the actual problem lies elsewhere. In United’s previous fixture, away at West Ham United, the Hammers pressed well through Diafra Sakho and Ener Valencia and Van Gaal’s side was unable to get the ball past their half-way line for long periods. United’s back-four struggled to find an outlet and was often left without an but to miserably hoof it up the field. Or to passing it all the way back to David De Gea who did the same. It was a game riddled with back-passes and ‘no other option’ long balls as if United was playing without a midfield at all. It is the story of United’s season – the absence of a proper midfield engine, with players such as Rooney and Januzaj trying to create, but sticking out like sore thumbs in central areas.

At least part of United’s problem lies in the systems played this season, whether a 3-5-2 or the 4-4-2 diamond. Each uses a compromised form of width that does not play to the squad’s strengths. In the former, Van Gaal asks his wide men to double up with added defensive duties at wing-back; the latter utilises attacking full-backs. In truth United is short of both. The failure of makeshift wing-backs Antonio Valencia and Ashley Young in part contributed to United’s return to a 4-4-2 diamond, where Van Gaal has tried to overcome weaknesses at full-back by deploying Di Maria and Januzaj on either side of the diamond. It compromises two talent players; neither manages to gain a fair share of the ball within the narrow diamond, nor create from wide areas.

However, against Burnley Van Gaal was forced into substituting Daley Blind near half time, resulting in a very rare Ander Herrera appearance as the Dutch midfielder went down with a knock to the head. United shifted to a flat four across midfield in the second half, which made a huge difference, with more players deployed in their preferred roles. Rooney initially pushed higher up the pitch, supported by the excellent Herrera. In turn, Januzaj and Di Maria set up as wingers, enabling each to whip in crosses and penetrate a tired Burnley defence. It was noticeable that Di Maria improved as the game went on, running at Burnley’s players and working back well when United had to defend.

Yet, it was a game that raised more concerns about Van Gaal’s time at United. The Dutchman came to Old Trafford on the back of success at the World Cup with a much-discussed 3-5-2 system. It has taken more than six months for the Dutchman to realise that it doesn’t work well at United. And now, with the “mathematically ingenious” 4-4-2 diamond, he is trying to fit in players into a system who are finding it uncomfortable, while others warm the bench. Players perhaps more suited to the new shape.

It’s an observation that asks a question – is it time that Van Gaal stopped trying to reinvent players and instead play to their strengths? It might mean that the manager has to start dropping his favourites to make a system work regardless of price tag and pedigree. After all, how long can a team depend on individual brilliance to win games? Lady luck does not last forever. Ultimately, above all, it is the team that matters most.

I agree with your assessment but why can everyone see this except LVG.
I, like many, have been trying to figure why we have turned so many quality players into failures and unfortunately it keeps coming back to Wayne Rooney.
Under the Moyes reign and now LVG, the team has been built around Rooney. He has been lauded as world class… but at what ? AS a forward he would be first on my team sheet but elsewhere his lack of instant ball control and technical ability leaves him needing too many touches which gives opponents time to close him down. This leaves him one of two options, either try to spray the ball wide (which opposition defences have twigged onto) or pass backward where the defenders panic and hoof it forward. Either way he slows the team down and coupled with LVG’s insistence of possession football leaves us without any quick links to the forwards who are not designed for long ball play. Before Rooney supporters start screaming at me please tell me the last impressive game that he has controlled from midfield or no 10 position. His goal scoring performances are well documented and that is where he should be played.
We already have players on the bench who can link the play and I believe if given the opportunity and regular playing time Herrera and Mata could be the catalyst.
LVG is still ignoring the most urgent problem and that is quality center backs, his regular inclusion of Evans can only be some sadistic pleasure he must gain by watching the rest of the defenders panic whenever he gets involved.

My view of the current team is that LVG is making a transition from how the team used to play to a possession based side. In terms of conversion of chances the team is doing well, as it is only attempting to score when the probability is high. This season the priority is to absorb the system and attain season targets, there is no reason to up the tempo and create a championship like run. Once the system has been learned then the attack will be unleashed, bear in mind that it is rare for two managers who have not worked together to use the same system. SAF had his way of winning and it is not LVG’s and that is probably why he constantly refers to philosophy his decision not to go all out will be justified by the eventual results. On the whole I am happier than last season because there is progression in our results and goals are coming from all over the park.